"Top-tier university group expands with new additions including George Washington and University of Miami"

Six universities, including George Washington University, have been invited to join the Association of American Universities (AAU), bringing its membership to 71. The AAU promotes research and defines a certain kind of prestige in academia. Membership is a signal that a university has arrived on the national stage, especially in the intense competition for research funding and recruitment of top faculty. The AAU embraced some universities known as champions of access, including Arizona State University and the University of California at Riverside, which are designated as Hispanic-serving institutions.